


i'll hold your hand (but only if you want me to)

by cactsu



Category: Buzzfeed Unsolved (Web Series)
Genre: Explicit Sexual Content, Fluff and Smut, It's mostly fluff though, M/M, based on a tumblr prompt, it's frottage btw, shane being protective, sorry i'm so bad at tags, the bois being cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-01
Updated: 2017-09-01
Packaged: 2018-12-19 19:30:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11904666
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cactsu/pseuds/cactsu
Summary: “When you, uh… when you called me babe, I… I kind of liked it.”“Really?”“Yeah.”“Well, I guess I should do it more often, then,” Shane turned to lock eyes with Ryan, something dark and sultry in his eyes. “Babe.”(basically based on the ‘I’m pretending to be your bf because you looked VERY uncomfortable with that person at the bar hitting on you’ prompt)





	i'll hold your hand (but only if you want me to)

**Author's Note:**

> so i found this prompt while looking for tumblr prompts on google images lmao ??? no i am not original yes i am ashamed OKAY ANYWAY HERE WE GO

Ryan downed the last of his beer, slamming the bottle onto the bar and turning to his best friend with a wide, shit-eating grin. The laugh that had been bubbling in the cauldron of his belly finally escaped, high-pitched and giddy, as he watched Shane finish his drink just two seconds after him. The satisfied smile on his face only widened when Shane slammed his own bottle down and shook his head defeatedly, refusing to meet Ryan’s gaze.

“Told you I’d beat you.”

“Another round. Let’s fucking _go_.”

Getting the response he’d expected, Ryan smirked and turned to the bartender, asking for two more beers. Beating Shane at chugging contests was something he could do all day and night.

Were they alcoholics? Yeah, probably. Did they frankly give a shit? No, not really.

After yet another lost round, Shane huffed and got up from his seat, a small hiccup escaping his throat. Ryan looked at him with an expression that read “wait, where ya goin’?” The taller man pointed his thumb behind him in the direction of the restroom.

“I’ll be right back, just gonna go take a leak really quick.”

Ryan’s facial muscles visibly loosened in relief as he nodded. “Alright, just don’t take too long.”

“Don’t worry, I’m not gonna leave you.” Shane paused, tilting his head and glancing up at the ceiling in thought. “Well, I might, but don’t quote me on that.”

“Shut up.”

Shane laughed, ruffling his friend’s hair with a large hand. “Just stay put, dude. I’ll be back before you know it.” And with that, he disappeared into the crowd, his tall, lanky frame looming over everyone else in the club.

Ryan watched him go, bottom lip tucked between his teeth, before turning in his seat back toward the bar and ordering a Manhattan. He didn’t _really_ need more alcohol, but who was it gonna hurt? After receiving a nod and a soft “coming right up” from the pink-haired woman, Ryan reached into his pocket to retrieve his phone and check the time.  _1:08 a.m._ He believed the club closed at 2 a.m... would they be staying until close? Probably not, but who knew. A swift motion in front of his face caused him to glance up from his phone; his drink sat in front of him, and he caught the bartender smiling at him as she went to serve another patron. He returned it, repocketing his phone, and began to enjoy his drink with content as he awaited his friend’s return.   

“Well, hello there.”

Startled by an abrupt voice, Ryan jumped and turned to his right see a man (who he hadn’t even noticed approach him, Jesus Christ) leaning against the bar next to him, eyeing him with a confident sparkle in his cerulean eyes. He seemed to be maybe in his early-to-mid thirties, dirty blonde hair swept back in a pretentious hairstyle. Ryan set his glass down, eyebrows furrowing in bemusement as the stranger shifted closer to him with no invite.

“Uh, hi…”

“What’s a cutie like you doing all alone at the bar?” The blond flashed a flirty, pearly white smile with a wink. It would’ve been at least slightly charming, if he wasn’t so goddamn close to him. Was it even remotely _natural_ for a stranger to so mindlessly annihilate one’s personal bubble? Ryan doubted it.

“I’m, uh…” He glanced around the room nervously, wishing now more than ever that Shane was by his side. “Just waiting for someone.”

Smirking, the stranger rested his hand on Ryan’s thigh, caressing it suggestively. “Waiting for someone like me to come along and take you home, I hope?”  

Ryan’s skin crawled at the other man’s touch. He shifted uncomfortably, seemingly attempting to wiggle as subtly as possible out of his hold. The guy clearly hadn’t gotten the memo, only shifting even closer and sliding his hand farther up his thigh. Ryan gulped and frowned, a deep blush tinging his cheeks. “Um—"

Suddenly, he felt a long arm snake its way around his waist, causing him to nearly jump out of his skin. He’d just started to turn his head to see who it was when a familiar voice met his ears, in its usual nonchalant tone.

“Hey, babe.”

Ryan nearly choked on the beverage that he wasn’t even drinking. “O-Oh…” Wide-eyed and flustered like a deer in headlights, he glanced between Shane and the stranger before getting the drift and leaning into the touch. “Hey.”

Shane took a sip of the beer that he’d somehow attained on his way from the bathroom back to the bar. “Is this a friend o’ yours?” He asked, voice calm as he tipped the bottle pointedly at the man, who had retracted his hold on Ryan’s thigh and was now glaring at Shane, mild belligerence burning in his blue eyes.

Ryan glanced at the stranger, cheeks burning as he shook his head. “No.”

“Oh. Well.” Shane took one final swig of his beer before setting the bottle down on the bar and pulling Ryan closer to him. “I say we’d best get outta here, don’t you?”

“Yeah…” Now shyly avoiding eye contact with whatever-his-name-was, Ryan got up from the stool. “Yeah, let’s do that.”

With Shane still holding him close (for acting purposes, of course), they turned and started to leave, when they heard the blond call after them in an unnecessarily seething tone.

“You’re really not as hot shit as you think you are. Barely even wanted you.”

Shane scoffed, shooting him a sharp glare over his shoulder. “Oh, buddy, you _wish_ you could have this,” he retorted, and further emphasized his statement by…

By giving a firm squeeze to Ryan’s ass.

Ryan let out a surprised, embarrassed squeak, and it took every ounce of Shane’s willpower not to laugh at the sound. It took a lot _not_ to laugh at Ryan in general, but somehow, he managed to succeed. Damn, his willpower was apparently way stronger than he’d originally thought.

Still glaring at the man across the room, Shane raised his eyebrows, daring him to say anything further. The only response he received was a petulant roll of the eyes, and he gave a curt nod before taking Ryan’s hand in his own and leading the way through the crowd.

If Ryan’s face wasn’t already on fire, well, now it was. He gazed down at their interlocked hands, slightly slack-jawed, as he was led out of the building and into the open, bustling night of the L.A. streets.

Shane didn’t live far, maybe only about a little over a mile away, so he figured it wouldn’t be too terribly inconvenient to walk. Ryan made no protests as they walked along the sidewalk in silence, still holding hands. The younger glanced up at Shane almost questioningly, not knowing whether he should let go or not. He gave a light tap to Shane’s knuckle with a finger to capture his attention.

“Hm?” Shane hummed and glanced down at his friend, lips pursed, as if he had been thinking. When Ryan glanced down at their hands, his eyes followed. He realized himself with a blush and slowly released his grasp, sliding his hand into his hoodie pocket without speaking up. Ryan cleared his throat in order to break the silence.

“Thanks for saving me back there, man.”

Shane shrugged. “Of course, I mean… I wasn’t just gonna do _nothing_. I could tell you were really uncomfortable; the guy seemed like a fucking creep, touching on you like that. He’s the kind of guy I’d call a grade A douchebag.”

There was an unidentifiable edge to his friend’s tone. It seemed almost… protective? Ryan took a mental note, but didn’t outwardly acknowledge it.

“Yeah, he was pretty fucking gross, to say the least. I hope we don’t come across him again…”

“If we do, I’ll sock him in the jaw for you.”

Ryan snorted, glancing up at his taller friend with one eyebrow raised. “Have you ever punched anyone before?”

“Nope.” Shane made a popping sound at the end of the word, causing Ryan to giggle with a shrug.

“Well, it’s the thought that counts, I guess.”

“Yeah, I’ll be like your knight in shining armor coming to the rescue.” Ryan could hear the smirk in his tone, and he glared up at him incredulously.

“Are you implying that I’m some kind of princess? I can protect myself, you know,” he retaliated, crossing his arms over his chest.

“I dunno, you seem pretty princess-y to me,” Shane said through a simper, earning him a playful yet firm punch to the shoulder that made him wince.

“Asshole.”

“Hey now, a princess should _never_ resort to violence. Didn’t you learn anything from _Brave_?”

“Didn’t _you_ learn anything from _Shrek_?”

Shane hummed in playful thought before responding. “Good point. You do look more like Fiona.”

The younger cocked his head to the side at the sudden declaration, eyebrows furrowed in curious confusion. “I guess I’ll take that as a compliment…?”

“I didn’t mean her human form.”

Yep, there it is. Ryan shook his head, failing to fight back the smile forming on his lips. Shane couldn’t help but smile himself at the familiar sight.

“I hate you.”

“Yeah, I know.”

 

* * *

 

“So, how’s Netflix sound?”

After a mile and a quarter of walking, they had finally arrived at Shane’s apartment, and were now seated on his living room couch. Ryan watched as Shane leaned toward the table in front of them and grabbed the remote control.

“Sounds good to me. I’ve been meaning to start _The Defenders_ , but I haven’t had the time.”

“Oh, I’m already halfway through that, it’s pretty good. I can restart for you, though,” Shane replied, sounding genuine. Ryan narrowed his eyes and studied his friend’s face suspiciously.

“Okay… but for the love of fuck, don’t spoil it while we’re watching.”

“Geez, Ryan, what do you think I am, a heathen? I would _never_.”

“Yeah, right, whatever you say,” Ryan shot back with a laugh.

Although the show was already in his queue, Shane watched so many shows (an endless stream of them, it seemed) that he had to scroll through the app for a while. In their silence, Ryan’s eyes kept flicking over to the side of Shane’s face, and he bit his lip in contemplation. Though he’d made his fruitless attempts to deny it, the events of the night had left his mind reeling, and he couldn’t stop feeling the ghost of Shane’s hand in his own. His feelings were running amok, leaving him inwardly conflicted, and he hated it.

Should he say something? Was it really worth a friendship with one of the best people he’d ever met in his entire life?

The left side of his conscious screamed no, of course it wasn’t, you fucking idiot!, but the (still slightly-drunk) right side of his brain said hey, man, don’t be a little titty. Better speak now, or forever hold your peace. So Ryan sucked in a breath and turned to his friend beside him, anxiously wringing his hands.

“Hey Shane?”

“Yeah?”

“Can I… can I be completely honest with you?”

“Of course, you can tell me anything.” _Fuck_ , why’d he have to be so _sweet_ and _sincere_? Ryan’s cheeks warmed.

“When you, uh… when you called me babe, I… I kind of liked it.”

The elder paused his scrolling, still looking at the TV screen. “Really?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, I guess I should do it more often, then,” Shane turned to lock eyes with Ryan, something dark and sultry in his eyes. “Babe.”

Ryan was immediately oxygen-deprived. Was it the way Shane was looking at him, like he was the only thing in the world worth his attention? Was it the possessive nickname, the way he’d _said_ it? Or was it maybe the shift in the air around them, the way electricity seemed to travel up his spine and into his scalp, making his nerves tingle? Ryan placed his bets on _all of the above_ as he swallowed thickly, heart thrumming violently against his ribcage when he noticed Shane start to move closer.

“Look…” his voice quivered; Shane was _so close_ now. “I don’t know if it’s because we’re kind of drunk, or what, but I feel… I feel like I—”

A feeling that could only be described as pure bliss hit him like a tidal wave as Shane’s hands cupped his face and their lips crashed. Ryan moaned into the kiss, loud and unapologetic, gripping the front of Shane’s hoodie in tight fists. He didn’t know he needed this— didn’t know he needed to experience the taste of his best friend’s tongue on his own—but _fuck_ , if he didn’t feel like he’d been starved of something crucial all his life. He craved more, and more was what he was going to get.

Ryan inched forward in languid motion, forcing Shane to lean back against the arm of the couch, and climbing on top of him so that he was straddling his thick thighs. Shane watched him, dilated, lust-filled pupils forming thin rings of his honey-colored irises. He’d placed his hands on Ryan’s waist, massaging the area under his fingers, just as the younger leaned in to press kisses onto his neck. Shane whimpered, hands trailing down to grip Ryan’s ass (the brave grip he’d taken earlier at the bar was _nothing_ compared to this). With a low moan, Ryan responded by palming Shane through his jeans; his breath faltered, a low whine escaping his throat as he bucked into the touch.

“Fuck, Ryan…”

“Hm… say my name again.” Ryan’s hand pressed harder onto his groin, eliciting another strangled whine from him.

“ _Ryan_.”

“Fuck.”

They kissed with even more fervor now, the taste of each other more intoxicating than the alcohol they’d indulged in earlier that night. They felt each other up with reckless abandon, before pulling apart slowly, Shane pulling lightly on Ryan’s bottom lip with his teeth as they diverged. Ryan’s eyes were still closed; they suddenly snapped open, dark, hungry intent blazing in them.

“Bedroom.”

That one simple word was enough to send Shane’s body into overdrive. He swept them both up from the couch, and they made their way to Shane’s bedroom, a tangle of limbs and tongues that couldn’t keep to themselves. Clothes were also shed on the way, leaving them only in their boxers.

Once they reached the bed, the back of Ryan’s knees hit the edge, and their bodies collided and molded together like two halves of a two-piece puzzle. Shane’s mouth was attached to Ryan’s neck, sucking deep, dark hickeys into the tan skin. Ryan’s hands were busy doing different things; one gripped Shane’s hair tightly, while the other pulled his partner’s boxers down and slowly started to stroke his cock.

This was fine. Heated makeout sessions were _great._ But a wave of unadulterated _need_ came over Shane, and with a moan, he reached between them and pulled out Ryan’s aching member, grabbing them both in one large hand and squeezing.

“Ah! Oh!  _Shane_ …” Ryan panted, biting his lip so hard, he nearly pierced it. Shane’s cock twitched at the sight.

Without pulling away from his lover, Shane reached into his bedside drawer and pulled out the bottle of lube that he always kept stashed there. Hey, sometimes a guy gets lonely. Or lucky. Fortunately for him, this night had ended him up with the latter. He popped the cap, squeezing a generous amount into his hand, then set the bottle back down on the table. With a shuddering breath, his slid his hand over both their lengths.

They both groaned, Shane’s head falling forward into the crook of Ryan’s neck. He hesitated to make any further action, in fear that he’ll lose himself far too soon. Breathless, Ryan waited in earnest, then wiggled in the other man’s grasp almost impatiently, attempting to gain friction in some capacity.

“Fuck, Shane… _please_ …"

Ryan’s gorgeous plea spurring him on, he began quickly pumping his hand up and down their shafts. Ryan all but _screamed_ from the intense wave of pleasure that overtook his body. Little did he know that said wave of pleasure could be intensified by a ten-fold, but ha— that would be for another night. For now, it was enough, though it felt like _too_ much.

The rapid, slick sounds, combined with the cacophony of grunts and whines that reverberated through the room, couldn’t have sounded more heavenly. Their senses were heightened exponentially, and all that could be felt, smelled, heard, tasted, and seen was each other. It was all too overwhelming, and Shane’s motions started to become sloppy and urgent because of it, the knot in the pit of his stomach tightening and growing as he edged closer and closer to the climax that he so desperately craved. Ryan was even more far gone, eyes rolled back in his head as he quivered with ecstasy.

“Shane, _Shane_ , oh—”

“You’re so beautiful…” Shane groaned, struggling to keep his eyes open so he could watch the ethereal man beneath him come undone. “Fuck, I love you.”

Ryan felt like he’d had the wind knocked out of him. Those three unexpected words made his head spin, and he couldn’t even mutter out a reply before he came with a tremor, Shane’s name on his tongue and stars dancing behind his eyelids. Four more frantic pumps of the hand and Shane was following him, spilling all over Ryan’s belly with an animalistic grunt. Ryan’s body had gone limp underneath him, and Shane slumped over him, shakily holding himself up with one arm on the headboard, as to not crush Ryan under his weight.

They both lay there in the afterglow, one on top of the other, breathing heavily as if they’d resurfaced from an atmosphere of their own. After a moment of recuperation, Shane planted a tender kiss to Ryan’s forehead, then to an already-bruised spot on his neck, before heaving himself up from the bed and starting to make his way to the bathroom. Ryan, on the other hand, had other plans.

He whined and grasped Shane’s hand, pouting as he attempted to pull the other man back to bed. Shane huffed a breathy laugh and rubbed Ryan’s knuckles reassuringly with a soft, love-stricken gaze. “Gotta clean up,” he muttered, slowly trying to pull away again. Ryan whimpered, but said no more as he hesitantly released his grip on Shane’s hand and watched him walk into the bathroom with groggy, half-lidded eyes.

When Shane returned, damp towel in hand, Ryan’s eyes had slid shut. Shane watched him doze for a small moment, observing the steady rise and fall of his chest, before snapping himself out of it and getting to work on the mess they’d made. When he finally climbed into bed, Ryan turned in his sleep and softly patted around the bed, looking for something to grab onto. His hand met Shane's bare chest, and he snuggled into it with a content sigh. It felt almost dangerous, being this close to Ryan as he slept, but as he allowed their legs to intertwine, he came to the conclusion that he really, _really_  liked danger.

 

* * *

 

Ryan’s initial thought as he blinked his tired, groggy eyes open was “ooh, smells like coffee”.

His second thought was “it’s colder in here than I’d like it to be”.

He slowly sat up with a grunt and rubbed at the sleep in his eyes before glancing around at his surroundings, slightly shivering and kind of forgetting how he’d ended up in Shane’s bedroom. Looking down at himself, he saw that he was in only his boxer shorts, and he frowned, mind muddled. He searched his mind for answers, and suddenly, the memories came flooding in.

Though it was vague, he remembered the warmth of being wrapped in Shane’s arms as he slept like a baby. He realized that it probably wasn’t even as cold in the room as his body was trying to convince him it was; he’d just grown so accustomed to Shane’s body heat throughout the night that now, without it, he felt oddly deprived.

Man, he was in _deep_.

Upon glancing around the room, he’d noticed that a large, maroon t-shirt lay neatly folded in the wooden chair that sat nearby the bed. Assuming that Shane had placed it there for him to wear (he had to have been one of the most thoughtful people Ryan knew), he got up from the bed and steadily padded across the room to pull the shirt over his head. It hung against his body loosely, way too big for him, but he didn’t mind. He kind of liked it, actually.

He slowly opened the bedroom door and walked out and into the kitchen, pausing when his eyes met a tall figure on the other end of the room. Shane was leaning against the counter and gazing at the floor, mug in hand as his mind raced with the events of the previous night. Ryan forced himself to tear his eyes away and towards the red mug of coffee sitting on the counter nearest to him. He softly walked over to retrieve it, leaning against the counter as well and stirring the beverage with the spoon that had been lying next to it before finally speaking up.

“Hey.”

Shane startled and glanced up at him, blinking before giving him a tight smile. “Hey.”

“Thanks for making me coffee, you really didn’t have to.”

“Nah, it’s no problem,” Shane replied with a halfhearted shrug. An awkward silence fell between them, making Ryan itch with nervous anticipation. He bit his lip and tapped his mug, inhaling deeply.

“So, uh… how are you feeling?”

“Fine. I mean, good. You know…” Shane stared down at his mug of tea pensively as he paused. “Yeah, good.”

“Oh, that’s good.”

Simultaneously, they took a sip of their drinks, avoiding each other’s eyes, before Shane swallowed and spoke up again.

“You?”

“Good.” Another pause. “I just wanted to ask you something, uh… about last night, if that’s okay.”

Shane’s breath hitched as he visibly tensed. “Shoot.”

“So, um… okay.” Ryan set his mug of coffee back down onto the counter and scratched the back of his head. “Where do we stand, exactly? I mean, we did… you know… a-and you said you loved me, and it really made me feel something, you know? But I didn’t wanna take it too seriously because we had been drinking a lot, so it could’ve just been our inebriation, or just the general atmosphere…” Shane watched him blankly as he started to pace the kitchen floor. “I don’t know, I guess we were kind of loopy, if that’s the word… I’m just asking because these things are really complicated and we—”

“Ryan.”

The younger stopped his rambling and pacing, glancing up at his friend with a perturbed expression. “Yeah?”

“You talk too much.”

“…Thanks.” Ryan deadpanned with a frown, earning him a wheeze from Shane as he set his own mug on the nearby table.

“It wasn’t because I was drunk. It wasn’t _just_ the atmosphere. It wasn’t because I was… loopy? What were we, ten-year-olds drinking Monster for the first time?”

“Shut up,” Ryan chuckled. Shane shook his head as he slowly started to approach him from across the room.

“Bad choice of words aside, it wasn’t any of that, okay? It was _real_. Really real.” A sigh punctuated his thoughts before he continued. “I didn’t know I felt this way about you, or, well, I guess I did, but it didn’t officially hit me until I saw his grimy little hands all over you. You looked so uncomfortable, and I just… really hated seeing you like that. It pissed me off in the weirdest way. All I remember thinking was, ‘get your hands off him, he’s mine.’ I didn’t think too much about it. I was just kind of acting on instinct. And I don’t regret it.” He stood before Ryan, gazing down at him solemnly. “Do you regret it?”

“N-No, I don’t regret it,” he replied with a shake of his head. Shane’s face instantly lit up; he grabbed Ryan’s waist, pulling him closer.

“When I said I loved you… I meant it.”

Ryan blushed with a shy smile and rested his hands on Shane’s chest. “Oh.”

“I promise you, it wasn’t because I was drunk.”

“You were pretty drunk. At least slightly past tipsy.”

“Okay, so maybe I was a _little_ drunk, but it made me braver, I’d say.”

“Of course you’d say that.”

“Uh, excuse me, you were drunk, too.” Shane huffed and started to lean forward, Ryan in tow.

“Hm. Touché.”

They met each other halfway, pressing their foreheads and noses together in a sweet Eskimo kiss.

“Would you believe me if I said I love you, too?”

“As long as you believe me, I think we’re pretty even.”

“I believe you.” The way Ryan smiled up at him with those dark, sparkling eyes made Shane’s heart melt. He really, _really_ wanted to kiss him.

“Well, I guess we’re just two idiots in love, then, huh?”

“I’m not complaining.”

They both leaned further in for a kiss, but then, something hit Shane like a sucker punch to the nose. All plans of kissing Ryan flew straight out the window; before their lips could meet, Shane recoiled, causing Ryan’s brow to furrow in confusion.

“Good Lord, I would kiss you, but your breath is _awful_.”

Ryan blinked up at him, expressionless, before sulking like a peeved child. “You didn’t seem too concerned about it last night.”

“Well, last night, it smelled like beer and whiskey. Now, it smells like garbage. Go brush your teeth.”

Ryan pulled away, feigning vexation as he suppressed a grin. “You’re the worst.”

“Your _breath_ smells the fucking worst! Get outta here and brush your teeth already, man!”

The younger started making his way out of the kitchen and toward the hall, arms crossed over his chest. It seemed that he had surrendered mercifully, but this was Ryan. It surely wouldn’t be that easy.

“…At least I don’t have a head the size of a Good—"

Shane knew what he was going to say, he fucking _knew_ it, and before he could finish his sentence, a plastic spatula went flying across the room and hit Ryan smack-dab on the back of the head. Ryan shrieked, barely containing his laughter as he turned to his offender with mock-pain on his face.

“Hey, that hurt!”

“That’s what you get,” Shane said with a chuckle.

“Not my fault you can’t handle the truth.”

“Shut the fuck up.”

“Make me.”

At the sound of his boyfriend’s rapid footsteps behind him, Ryan yelped, fleeing to the bedroom and wheezing all the while.

**Author's Note:**

> why is ryan always getting touched on the thighs in my fics  
> eh this isn't very good at all tbh but i really wanted to write fluff and a lil bit of smut ??? (this is my literal second time writing smut ever, my first attempt was years ago, so sorry for my inexperience! i will definitely practice!) also i'm trying to fit into the fandom sorry i'm very awkward i swear i can do better pls have me  
> you can find me at my buzzfeed unsolved tumblr [ here](https://51wheezes.tumblr.com/) if you wanna send prompts/headcanons, just talk, or anything really!


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